The present invention relates generally to a medical splint and immobilization device, more particularly to a lightweight, compact, telescoping splint.
Medical professionals, such as combat medics, emergency medics and paramedics at times need to attend to patients in remote or dangerous locations in combat, following natural or manmade disasters, or when performing other rescue operations. The difficult and remote circumstances under which these medical professionals must deliver medical attention frequently means that medics need to carry a large amount of heavy equipment on their person, or compactly packed in small, lightweight vehicles in which space and weight are at a premium. Medical military personnel, for example, must at times wear heavy cumbersome body armor, full loads of ammunition, weapons, numerous pieces of miscellaneous field equipment, as well as a large medical aid bag. They therefore frequently attempt to minimize the weight and size of equipment they choose to carry with them.
One piece of medical equipment that military and emergency rescue medics can consider important to take with them is a medical splint for use in an emergency to restrain movement of a fractured limb or portions of a fractured limb such as an arm, wrist, elbow, leg, knee or ankle following an attack, or accident. Commonly available splints, however, are generally large, heavy and cumbersome, and awkward to carry and store. Most are not easily adjusted and cannot conveniently support a wide variety of limbs, meaning that medics must at times carry several splints of different size. At other times, medics improvise using locally available materials that may not provide full support for the limb or may have unsuitable surfaces (e.g., sharp edges, splinters or an abrasive surface) that in the medic would not use as a splint in ideal circumstances. Additionally, to save weight and space, some splints can be too small and flimsy, providing insufficient support and permitting a braced limb to flex or twist under light impact that sometimes inadvertently occurs as a patient is being transported for additional medical care.
Thus, a need exists for an adjustable splint that is lightweight, that can be packed to a small size and that is easy to carry. Furthermore, a need also exists for a splint that is expandable to accommodate placement around an arm or leg but must also be strong enough to restrain and support a limb until the patient can receive attention in a medical facility.